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The City of God

Chapter 9.--Of the Perturbations of the Soul Which Appear as Right Affections in the Life of the Righteous.

But so far as regards this question of mental perturbations, we have answered these philosophers in the ninth book ¹ of this work, showing that it is rather a verbal than a real dispute, and that they seek contention rather than truth. Among ourselves, according to the sacred Scriptures and sound doctrine, the citizens of the holy city of God, who live according to God in the pilgrimage of this life, both fear and desire, and grieve and rejoice. And because their love is rightly placed, all these affections of theirs are right. They fear eternal punishment, they desire eternal life; they grieve because they themselves groan within themselves, waiting for the adoption, the redemption of their body; ² they rejoice in hope, because there "shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." ³ In like manner they fear to sin, they desire to persevere; they grieve in sin, they rejoice in good works. They fear to sin, because they hear that "because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." ⁴ They desire to persevere, because they hear that it is written, "He that endureth to the end shall be saved." ⁵ They grieve for sin, hearing that "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." ⁶ They rejoice in good works, because they hear that "the Lord loveth a cheerful giver." ⁷ In like manner, according as they are strong or weak, they fear or desire to be tempted, grieve or rejoice in temptation. They fear to be tempted, because they hear the injunction, "If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." ⁸ They desire to be tempted, because they hear one of the heroes of the city of God saying, "Examine me, O Lord, and tempt me: try my reins and my heart." ⁹ They grieve in temptations, because they see Peter weeping; ¹⁰ they rejoice in temptations, because they hear James saying, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." ¹¹

And not only on their own account do they experience these emotions, but also on account of those whose deliverance they desire and whose perdition they fear, and whose loss or salvation affects them with grief or with joy. For if we who have come into the Church from among the Gentiles may suitably instance that noble and mighty hero who glories in his infirmities, the teacher (doctor) of the nations in faith and truth, who also labored more than all his fellow-apostles, and instructed the tribes of God's people by his epistles, which edified not only those of his own time, but all those who were to be gathered in,--that hero, I say, and athlete of Christ, instructed by Him, anointed of His Spirit, crucified with Him, glorious in Him, lawfully maintaining a great conflict on the theatre of this world, and being made a spectacle to angels and men, ¹² and pressing onwards for the prize of his high calling, ¹³ --very joyfully do we with the eyes of faith behold him rejoicing with them that rejoice, and weeping with them that weep; ¹⁴ though hampered by fightings without and fears within; ¹⁵ desiring to depart and to be with Christ; ¹⁶ longing to see the Romans, that he might have some fruit among them as among other Gentiles; ¹⁷ being jealous over the Corinthians, and fearing in that jealousy lest their minds should be corrupted from the chastity that is in Christ; ¹⁸ having great heaviness and continual sorrow of heart for the Israelites, ¹⁹ because they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God; ²⁰ and expressing not only his sorrow, but bitter lamentation over some who had formally sinned and had not repented of their uncleanness and fornications. ²¹

If these emotions and affections, arising as they do from the love of what is good and from a holy charity, are to be called vices, then let us allow these emotions which are truly vices to pass under the name of virtues. But since these affections, when they are exercised in a becoming way, follow the guidance of right reason, who will dare to say that they are diseases or vicious passions? Wherefore even the Lord Himself, when He condescended to lead a human life in the form of a slave, had no sin whatever, and yet exercised these emotions where He judged they should be exercised. For as there was in Him a true human body and a true human soul, so was there also a true human emotion. When, therefore, we read in the Gospel that the hard-heartedness of the Jews moved Him to sorrowful indignation, ²² that He said, "I am glad for your sakes, to the intent ye may believe," ²³ that when about to raise Lazarus He even shed tears, ²⁴ that He earnestly desired to eat the passover with His disciples, ²⁵ that as His passion drew near His soul was sorrowful, ²⁶ these emotions are certainly not falsely ascribed to Him. But as He became man when it pleased Him, so, in the grace of His definite purpose, when it pleased Him He experienced those emotions in His human soul.

But we must further make the admission, that even when these affections are well regulated, and according to God's will, they are peculiar to this life, not to that future life we look for, and that often we yield to them against our will. And thus sometimes we weep in spite of ourselves, being carried beyond ourselves, not indeed by culpable desire; but by praiseworthy charity. In us, therefore, these affections arise from human infirmity; but it was not so with the Lord Jesus, for even His infirmity was the consequence of His power. But so long as we wear the infirmity of this life, we are rather worse men than better if we have none of these emotions at all. For the apostle vituperated and abominated some who, as he said, were "without natural affection." ²⁷ The sacred Psalmist also found fault with those of whom he said, "I looked for some to lament with me, and there was none." ²⁸ For to be quite free from pain while we are in this place of misery is only purchased, as one of this world's literati perceived and remarked, ²⁹ at the price of blunted sensibilities both of mind and body. And therefore that which the Greeks call apatheia, and what the Latins would call, if their language would allow them, "impassibilitas," if it be taken to mean an impassibility of spirit and not of body, or, in other words, a freedom from those emotions which are contrary to reason and disturb the mind, then it is obviously a good and most desirable quality, but it is not one which is attainable in this life. For the words of the apostle are the confession, not of the common herd, but of the eminently pious, just, and holy men: "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." ³⁰ When there shall be no sin in a man, then there shall be this apatheia. At present it is enough if we live without crime; and he who thinks he lives without sin puts aside not sin, but pardon. And if that is to be called apathy, where the mind is the subject of no emotion, then who would not consider this insensibility to be worse than all vices? It may, indeed, reasonably be maintained that the perfect blessedness we hope for shall be free from all sting of fear or sadness; but who that is not quite lost to truth would say that neither love nor joy shall be experienced there? But if by apathy a condition be meant in which no fear terrifies nor any pain annoys, we must in this life renounce such a state if we would live according to God's will, but may hope to enjoy it in that blessedness which is promised as our eternal condition.

For that fear of which the Apostle John says, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love," ³¹ --that fear is not of the same kind as the Apostle Paul felt lest the Corinthians should be seduced by the subtlety of the serpent; for love is susceptible of this fear, yea, love alone is capable of it. But the fear which is not in love is of that kind of which Paul himself says, "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear." ³² But as for that "clean fear which endureth for ever," ³³ if it is to exist in the world to come (and how else can it be said to endure for ever?), it is not a fear deterring us from evil which may happen, but preserving us in the good which cannot be lost. For where the love of acquired good is unchangeable, there certainly the fear that avoids evil is, if I may say so, free from anxiety. For under the name of "clean fear" David signifies that will by which we shall necessarily shrink from sin, and guard against it, not with the anxiety of weakness, which fears that we may strongly sin, but with the tranquillity of perfect love. Or if no kind of fear at all shall exist in that most imperturbable security of perpetual and blissful delights, then the expression, "The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever," must be taken in the same sense as that other, "The patience of the poor shall not perish for ever." ³⁴ For patience, which is necessary only where ills are to be borne, shall not be eternal, but that which patience leads us to will be eternal. So perhaps this "clean fear" is said to endure for ever, because that to which fear leads shall endure.

And since this is so,--since we must live a good life in order to attain to a blessed life, a good life has all these affections right, a bad life has them wrong. But in the blessed life eternal there will be love and joy, not only right, but also assured; but fear and grief there will be none. Whence it already appears in some sort what manner of persons the citizens of the city of God must be in this their pilgrimage, who live after the spirit, not after the flesh,--that is to say, according to God, not according to man,--and what manner of persons they shall be also in that immortality whither they are journeying. And the city or society of the wicked, who live not according to God, but according to man, and who accept the doctrines of men or devils in the worship of a false and contempt of the true divinity, is shaken with those wicked emotions as by diseases and disturbances. And if there be some of its citizens who seem to restrain and, as it were, temper those passions, they are so elated with ungodly pride, that their disease is as much greater as their pain is less. And if some, with a vanity monstrous in proportion to its rarity, have become enamored of themselves because they can be stimulated and excited by no emotion, moved or bent by no affection, such persons rather lose all humanity than obtain true tranquillity. For a thing is not necessarily right because it is inflexible, nor healthy because it is insensible.

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De civitate Dei (CCSL)

Caput IX: De perturbationibus animi, quarum adfectus rectos habet uita iustorum.

Verum his philosophis, quod ad istam quaestionem de animi perturbationibus adtinet, iam respondimus in nono huius operis libro, ostendentes eos non tam de rebus, quam de uerbis cupidiores esse contentionis quam ueritatis. apud nos autem iuxta scripturas sanctas sanamque doctrinam ciues sanctae ciuitatis dei in huius uitae peregrinatione secundum deum uiuentes metuunt cupiunt que, dolent gaudent que, et quia rectus est amor eorum, istas omnes adfectiones rectas habent. metuunt poenam aeternam, cupiunt uitam aeternam; dolent in re, quia ipsi in se met ipsis adhuc ingemescunt adoptionem expectantes, redemptionem corporis sui; gaudent in spe, quia fiet sermo, qui scriptus est: absorpta est mors in uictoriam. item metuunt peccare, cupiunt perseuerare; dolent in peccatis, gaudent in operibus bonis. ut enim metuant peccare, audiunt: quoniam abundabit iniquitas, refrigescet caritas multorum; ut cupiant perseuerare, audiunt quod scriptum est: qui perseuerauerit usque in finem, hic saluus erit; ut doleant in peccatis, audiunt: si dixerimus quia peccatum non habemus, nos ipsos seducimus, et ueritas in nobis non est; ut gaudeant in operibus bonis, audiunt: hilarem datorem diligit deus. item sicuti se infirmitas eorum firmitasque habuerit, metuunt tentari, cupiunt tentari; dolent in tentationibus, gaudent in tentationibus, ut enim metuant tentari, audiunt: si quis praeoccupatus fuerit in aliquo delicto, uos, qui spiritales estis, instruite huiusmodi in spiritu mansuetudinis, intendens te ipsum, ne et tu tenteris; ut autem cupiant tentari, audiunt quendam uirum fortem ciuitatis dei dicentem: proba me, domine, et tenta me; ure renes meos et cor meum; ut doleant in tentationibus, uident Petrum flentem; ut gaudeant in tentationibus, audiunt Iacobum dicentem: omne gaudium existimate, fratres mei, cum in tentationes uarias incideritis. non solum autem propter se ipsos his mouentur adfectibus, uerum etiam propter eos, quos liberari cupiunt et ne pereant metuunt, et dolent si pereunt et gaudent si liberantur. illum quippe optimum et fortissimum uirum, qui in suis infirmitatibus gloriatur, ut eum potissimum commemoremus, qui in ecclesiam Christi ex gentibus uenimus, doctorem gentium in fide et ueritate, qui et plus omnibus suis coapostolis laborauit et pluribus epistulis populos dei, non eos tantum, qui praesentes ab illo uidebantur, uerum etiam illos, qui futuri praeuidebantur, instruxit; illum, inquam, uirum, athletam Christi, doctum ab illo, unctum de illo, crucifixum cum illo, gloriosum in illo, in theatro huius mundi, cui spectaculum factus est et angelis et hominibus, legitime magnum agonem certantem et palmam supernae uocationis in anteriora sectantem, oculis fidei libentissime spectant gaudere cum gaudentibus, flere cum flentibus, foris habentem pugnas, intus timores, cupientem dissolui et esse cum Christo, desiderantem uidere Romanos, ut aliquem fructum habeat et in illis sicut et in ceteris gentibus, aemulantem Corinthios et ipsa aemulatione metuentem, ne seducantur eorum mentes a castitate, quae in Christo est, magnam tristitiam et continuum dolorem cordis de Israelitis habentem, quod ignorantes dei iustitiam et suam uolentes constituere iustitiae dei non essent subiecti; nec solum dolorem, uerum etiam luctum suum denuntiantem quibusdam, qui ante peccauerunt et non egerunt paenitentiam super inmunditia et fornicationibus suis. hi motus, hi adfectus de amore boni et de sancta caritate uenientes si uitia uocanda sunt, sinamus, ut ea, quae uere uitia sunt, uirtutes uocentur. sed cum rectam rationem sequantur istae adfectiones, quando ubi oportet adhibentur, quis eas tunc morbos seu uitiosas passiones audeat dicere? quamobrem etiam ipse dominus in forma serui agere uitam dignatus humanam, sed nullum habens omnino peccatum adhibuit eas, ubi adhibendas esse iudicauit. neque enim, in quo uerum erat hominis corpus et uerus hominis animus, falsus erat humanus adfectus. cum ergo eius in euangelio ista referuntur, quod super duritia cordis Iudaeorum cum ira contristatus sit, quod dixerit: gaudeo propter uos, ut credatis, quod Lazarum suscitaturus etiam lacrimas fuderit, quod concupiuerit cum discipulis suis manducare pascha, quod propinquante passione tristis fuerit anima eius, non falso utique referuntur. uerum ille hos motus certae dispensationis gratia ita cum uoluit suscepit animo humano, ut cum uoluit factus est homo. proinde, quod fatendum est, etiam cum rectas et secundum deum habemus has adfectiones, huius uitae sunt, non illius, quam futuram speramus, et saepe illis etiam inuiti cedimus. itaque aliquando, quamuis non culpabili cupiditate, sed laudabili caritate moueamur, etiam dum nolumus flemus. habemus ergo eas ex humanae condicionis infirmitate; non autem ita dominus Iesus, cuius et infirmitas fuit ex potestate. sed dum uitae huius infirmitatem gerimus, si eas omnino nullas habeamus, tunc potius non recte uiuimus. uituperabat enim et detestabatur apostolus quosdam, quos etiam esse dixit sine adfectione. culpauit etiam illos sacer psalmus, de quibus ait: sustinui qui simul contristaretur, et non fuit. nam omnino non dolere, dum sumus in hoc loco miseriae, profecto, sicut quidam etiam apud saeculi huius litteratos sensit et dixit, non sine magna mercede contingit inmanitatis in animo, stuporis in corpore. quocirca illa, quae ἀπάθεια Graece dicitur - quae si Latine posset inpassibilitas diceretur - , si ita intellegenda est - in animo quippe, non in corpore accipitur - , ut sine his adfectionibus uiuatur, quae contra rationem accidunt mentemque perturbant, bona plane et maxime optanda est, sed nec ipsa huius est uitae. non enim qualiumcumque hominum uox est, sed maxime piorum multumque iustorum atque sanctorum: si dixerimus, quoniam peccatum non habemus, nos ipsos seducimus et ueritas in nobis non est. tunc itaque ἀπάθεια ista erit, quando peccatum in homine nullum erit. nunc uero satis bene uiuitur, si sine crimine; sine peccato autem qui se uiuere existimat, non id agit, ut peccatum non habeat, sed ut ueniam non accipiat. porro si ἀπάθεια illa dicenda est, cum animum contingere omnino non potest ullus adfectus, quis hunc stuporem non omnibus uitiis iudicet esse peiorem? potest ergo non absurde dici perfectam beatitudinem sine stimulo timoris et sine ulla tristitia futuram; non ibi autem futurum amorem gaudiumque quis dixerit, nisi omni modo a ueritate seclusus? si autem ἀπάθεια illa est, ubi nec metus ullus exterret nec angit dolor, auersanda est in hac uita, si recte, hoc est secundum deum, uiuere uolumus; in illa uero beata, quae sempiterna promittitur, plane speranda est. timor namque ille, de quo dicit apostolus Iohannes: timor non est in caritate, sed perfecta caritas foras mittit timorem, quia timor poenam habet; qui autem timet, non est perfectus in caritate, non est eius generis timor, cuius ille, quo timebat apostolus Paulus, ne Corinthii serpentina seducerentur astutia; hunc enim timorem habet caritas, immo non habet nisi caritas; sed illius generis est timor, qui non est in caritate, de quo ipse apostolus Paulus ait: non enim accepistis spiritum seruitutis iterum in timore. timor uero ille castus permanens in saeculum saeculi, si erit et in futuro saeculo - nam quo alio modo potest intellegi permanere in saeculum saeculi - , non est timor exterrens a malo quod accidere potest, sed tenens in bono quod amitti non potest. ubi enim boni adepti amor inmutabilis est, profecto, si dici potest, mali cauendi timor securus est. timoris quippe casti nomine ea uoluntas significata est, qua nos necesse erit nolle peccare, et non sollicitudine infirmitatis, ne forte peccemus, sed tranquillitate caritatis cauere peccatum. aut si nullius omnino generis timor esse poterit in illa certissima securitate perpetuorum felicium que gaudiorum, sic est dictum: timor domini castus permanens in saeculum saeculi, quemadmodum dictum est: patientia pauperum non peribit in aeternum. neque enim aeterna erit ipsa patientia, quae necessaria non est, nisi ubi toleranda sunt mala; sed aeternum erit, quo per patientiam peruenitur. ita fortasse timor castus in saeculum saeculi dictus est permanere, quia id permanebit, quo timor ipse perducit. quae cum ita sint, quoniam recta uita ducenda est, qua perueniendum sit ad beatam, omnes adfectus istos uita recta rectos habet, peruersa peruersos. beata uero eademque aeterna amorem habebit et gaudium non solum rectum, uerum etiam certum; timorem autem ac dolorem nullum. unde iam apparet utcumque, quales esse debeant in hac peregrinatione ciues ciuitatis dei, uiuentes secundum spiritum, non secundum carnem, hoc est secundum deum, non secundum hominem, et quales in illa, quo tendunt, inmortalitate futuri sint. ciuitas porro, id est societas, inpiorum non secundum deum, sed secundum hominem uiuentium et in ipso cultu falsae contemptuque uerae diuinitatis doctrinas hominum daemonumue sectantium his adfectibus prauis tamquam morbis et perturbationibus quatitur. et si quos ciues habet, qui moderari talibus motibus et eos quasi temperare uideantur, sic inpietate superbi et elati sunt, ut hoc ipso sint in eis maiores tumores, quo minores dolores. et si nonnulli tanto inmaniore, quanto rariore uanitate hoc in se ipsis adamauerint, ut nullo prorsus erigantur et excitentur, nullo flectantur atque inclinentur adfectu: humanitatem totam potius amittunt, quam ueram adsequuntur tranquillitatem. non enim quia durum aliquid, ideo rectum, aut quia stupidum est, ideo sanum.